


Unbroken

by EEhtirsA_the_other_one (orphan_account)



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Blindness in consequence of injury, Descriptive gore, Discriptive violence, Fighting Ring, Imprisionment, Lucy has problems, dark pasts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-30
Updated: 2015-11-28
Packaged: 2018-04-11 23:59:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4457519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/EEhtirsA_the_other_one
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lucy, Erza, Gray, and Juvia receive a job request all the way from the country of Minstrel. What they find on that job could change their lives forever! How difficult will it be to save the lives of so many enslaved creatures? How will the most amazing creature they find handle his freedom?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Boom…_

_Boom…_

_Boom…_

I could feel the vibrations of the drums through the floor. The steady beat of the constant bass note buzzed in my ears as I sat alone in the darkness. I could faintly hear the roar of the crowd far above me, hundreds of voices crying out in rage, annoyance, happiness, and a million other emotions. They all twisted into a single nonsensical mass of sound. It was like a demonic choir that never ceased in its thunderous noise until the earliest hours of the morning.

I drowned it all out. I closed my eyes, even though I could not see. It helped me to drown out the voices. I faintly registered the sound of boots on the stone floor. The offbeat clomps became louder as the source drew closer. I cocked an ear, listening carefully as I tried to identify the owner of those offensive hob-nail boots. It was never silent here, but the sound was low and constant, and the daily intrusions from my keepers only served to annoy me each day as I tried to sleep. Sleeping was all I could do in my free time, and these people always found some way to interrupt even my deepest naps.

The thumps of the feet stopped and were replaced with the telltale shuffle of shoes dragging over a smooth floor. The sound was fluid, yet sharp, and it sent a shiver up my spine. I listened as the owner of the boots carefully fitted keys into the lock of the cage and pulled the door open, the hinges creaking. I listened to the person sigh, and a whiff of alcohol and cigars drifted into my nostrils. I curled my lip in disgust.

It was Alvor.

Of all of the people entrusted to care for me, Alvor was the one I despised the most. The man was fond of torture and had some of the best fighters in the arena. He would drive his fighters crazy with torture, both psychological and physical, and then he would throw them out in the arena to fight to the death. Almost all of them killed without a moment of hesitation. He had complete control over the others that had been imprisoned in this hellhole. He tortured me too, but unlike the others, I had yet to be broken. No, he hadn't broken me; instead he made me completely dependent on him outside of the arena. And it worked so well.

Alvor had created his own little world down here, and in this world, he was king, he was god. No one could tell him no, least of all me. I felt the heat of Alvors hand near my face and gently tough my snout, rubbing it affectionately. "You're gonna win me a lot of money today," he said, his foul breath wafting up my sensitive nose. He patted my snout one more time before walking away, ordering the others to take me up.

I groaned at the thought of the long and arduous trip up the tunnel where I would be subjected to the trials of the arena once again. It wasn't the thought of the arena itself that made me queasy, but the thought of riding some strange man made machine all the way up to the surface that made my stomach turn. I wanted to escape from my prison so badly, but it was futile. I was completely bound to the place where I sat. My legs were bound by thick, heavy chains, and my wings were bound to my back by giant leather straps that were uncomfortably tight. Two giant shackles bound my long neck to the floor, walls, and ceiling, restricting the movement of my head to only a few feet in each direction. My mouth was clamped shut by a muzzle and my horns had been sawn off. My stomach and chest was pulled flush against the ground by thick leather straps that was strapped over my back and firmly bound to metal clamps on the ground.

The chains that bound my head to the ceiling and walls were released and instead pulled down to rings on the floor and threaded through, pulling my head and neck down until I was lying completely against the floor.

I could do nothing as my caretakers started up the machine, and the platform under me suddenly began moving and I immediately became nauseous. I could hear several people begin to laugh at my sickness, but I ignored them and focused on not puking up my latest meal. As I lay there in misery, the platform slowly moved me toward the sound of the roaring crowd, and I could faintly hear the voice of the announcer above the cacophony of sound. There were so many sounds and smells assaulting my ears. Alcohol, cigarette smoke, food, the sounds of cowbells ringing, air horns blasting, and high pitched screams stood out from everything else, and it made me dizzy with anticipation.

I vaguely noticed a small pinch in my leg before my heart suddenly began beating faster. My eyes widened. I tried to raise myself up from my position, but I was bound. Not good. I needed to move.

I struggled against the chains, but they held fast. I wrenched my body violently as I tried to escape, desperate now to release this new energy. My heart was pumping so fast it felt like it would fly from my chest. My body heated up as the blood in my veins began to pump faster, keeping time with my now erratic breathing. I felt another pinch, and the restless sensation tripled, and I could feel my mind slipping as my body took over. I was desperate for release, desperate to break free and run, jump, do _anything_ until I collapsed from exhaustion.

The roars from the crowd were unbearably loud and the blood rushing in my head seemed to match its intensity, until all I was aware of was the dull roar in my ears, the thousands of smells of the open air, and the blackness that had claimed my vision long ago.

I pushed forward, my muscles straining as I pushed my body's limits. The bindings on my body dug into my flesh painfully, but I didn't care. I felt the blood begin to pour down my neck before, finally, the chains fell away, and I launched forward into the arena. Giant doors slammed closed behind me as I moved forward. I was surrounded by the crowd, and their shrieks of excitement and fear only made me more restless.

I roared, spewing fire all around me, declaring my presence to the world. I heard a second set of doors being slammed shut and just managed to turn towards the sound before something huge rammed me to the ground.

FT

I couldn't believe that I was here right now. Why had I been picked to help out on a mission like this? I sighed for the millionth time that day as I followed the others down the street. One minute I had been looking for a job to take, and the next minute I was on a ship to Minstrel with Gray, Erza, Juvia, and Happy. It took a week to travel to the capital by ship, and I was more than happy the moment I set foot on dry land. I promised myself I would never travel by sea ever again if it wasn't at least on a luxury cruise liner.

After arriving in Minstrel's capital, we all rented rooms at a hotel, and were now on our way to see our employer. Erza was leading the way, Gray directly behind her whilecJuvia clung to his arm like a leech. Happy floated on his wings beside me as I walked behind the others, feeling dejected.

All I had wanted was some rent money, then Erza demanded that we all go with her on this mission for a 'bonding experience,' one that I was thoroughly convinced Juvia was enjoying every minute of. I couldn't help but feel upset about how clingy she was. Gray and I had been dating for two months before he decided to end it, and then he immediately hooked up with Juvia, who had been practically him stalking ever since they met. I was upset at first, but then I realized that mine and Gray's relationship just really hadn't been working out. We had nothing in common, and he had a horrible stripping habit that annoyed the hell out of me, but Juvia seemed to love it. I had accepted that Juvia was a better match for Gray, (Ice X Water, duh) but the attraction I had for him was still there.

I couldn't help the feeling of jealousy I had for the woman walking ahead of me. The rain woman had effectively stolen Gray from me, and they were having a much better relationship than Gray and I had had. I did feel kind of guilty for being jealous, because even though the introverted water mage had seen me as a "love rival" for the longest amount of time, she had accepted me as a friend and had gotten over her own jealousy while me and Gray had been dating. When Gray and I broke up she even visited my house and apologized profusely for screwing up me and Gray's relationship with her constant stalking. I just brushed her off and said that it just wasn't meant to be, and I even encouraged Juvia to try her luck with Gray. Juvia had been adamant at first, but she soon came around, and her and Gray were together a few days later. I was happy for them, despite my own shortcomings, and I was determined to support the couple. I wouldn't allow my own past feelings get in the way of a friendship I had with Juvia, and the teamwork required between me and Gray.

I shook my head to clear it of stray thoughts. Now was not the time to be thinking of my relationship status, I needed to focus on the mission (even though I was entirely convinced that Erza made us all come along to ensure that any bad feelings that anyone was harboring about the break up/ get together were stamped out).

We rounded a corner and came upon a large house that was set wall to wall with the buildings around it. It was easily five stories tall, and it vaguely reminded me of my old home, the Heartfilia Konzern. The building was all stone pillars, gold plated and baroque embellishment. To sum it up, it was made of extremely shiny, I-can-afford-this-and-you-can't material. Erza knocked a gloved fist on the huge wooden door, and they waited patiently for the door to be opened.

And they waited, and waited, and waited. Erza frowned and knocked on the door again, a little louder this time. Still, no one answered the door.

"Maybe they're not home," Gray offered.

Erza hummed and was about to turn away from the building when the door suddenly flew open, revealing a disheveled man in an askew business suit. Erza flinched, startled, and her hand brushed over the pommel of her sword before she regained her composure. The man at the door seemed more startled that her and took a step back upon seeing her action, eyes wide.

"Sir," Erza began, clearing her throat as she pulled out a flyer from her pocket, "We are mages from Fairy Tail. We have accepted your job request." She offered him the flyer, but he only stared at it, seeming lost for a moment.

"Ah." He said his voice slightly hoarse. "I guess you didn't hear the news? That job's been canceled."

"Eh? But we came all this way," I said. This was not looking good at all. The request form had promised one million Jewl, and that was the only reason I had agreed to come along in the first place. Rent was insanely expensive.

The man nodded his head, and he seemed extremely reluctant to tell us his next piece of information. "I cancelled the job because I can no longer pay you the amount the job stated."

Erza frowned. "That is not a problem sir, one million Jewl would have been more than enough to split between us; a lower reward does not bother us at all."

I wanted to protest to that, but held my tongue. We all knew perfectly well that jobs were only taken according to initial profit, and it would have been a huge steal when just split between the four of us. Whether we still took this job or not depended on just how far the reward had dropped.

"Mam," the man said, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead, "I cannot pay you for your services at all."

Silence.

Gray was the first to speak. "What's the meaning of this, explain yourself!"

The man flinched, but maintained his composure and quickly stepped back from the door, opening it wider and revealing the interior of his home.

"If you come inside, I will explain myself in full."

Erza nodded and quickly followed the man inside, the rest of us behind her. I couldn't help but be taken aback when I stepped into the home. I had been expecting a grandeur that matched the outside of the home, but instead I was met with bare walls, empty wooden floors, and a fine layer of dust covering every surface of the house.

The man led us into what must have been the sitting room, which was also devoid of furniture. The man stretched out his hands, gesturing to the entire room.

"What you are looking at right now is the last of what I own, and soon I will not even have this."

He turned away from us, staring out a window in the far wall.

"My name is Jade. I was once the CEO if a huge magical outfitters company, _Mage Fashion._ My company was bought by Mr. Jude Heartfilia and his company. My company did very well for a long time, but seven years ago, his company went bankrupt, and my company and many others soon followed after."

I gasped at the mention of my father. Memories of my childhood with him, my encounter after the company failed, and then the news of his death after Tenroujima. I had hated myself for a long time after I found out he was dead, and had continued to pay my rent for seven years. I still visit his grave frequently.

Jade didn't seem to have noticed my outburst and continued. "My company didn't go down at first. We struggled to regain out independence for a few a few years before the company finally collapsed two years ago. The company had just become too dependent on the Heartfilia business, and couldn't recover fast enough. I've been living off of my last few paychecks this past year, trying to find a new job, but no one would take me. I'm the laughingstock of the Minstrel business industry! I couldn't even get a desk job! Before I knew it I was receiving notices from the bank that I would be evicted, and I simply couldn't pay the bills. They came a week ago and took everything in order to pay off my dept. The only things I own now are the very clothes on my back."

Jade huffed in frustration and plopped down on the wooden floor, spreading a small cloud of dust. He hid his face in his hands, and I could have sworn he was about to cry.

"So," he continued, "due to my current financial situation, I cannot pay you for this job. Please just return to Fiore and get on with your lives; there's nothing for you here."

Everyone was silent for a moment before I carefully stepped forward. I crouched down to Jade's level and grabbed his arms, moving his hands away from his face.

"Sir," I began, "I think all of us can agree that the money doesn't really matter right now. We are here, so just let us do the job, and you can forget about paying us for anything."

I knew the others were probably looking at me like I was crazy. Me of all people was rejecting money and doing a job for no profit what so ever? Yes I was a money grubber, especially when it came to rent money, but at this point money didn't matter. Jade was in this position because he had made a deal that he had no idea would go south. He had even found a need and had been willing to pay a hefty sum in order to see it filled, even when he was losing everything. It reminded her too much of her father, who had continued to pay her rent while she was trapped on Tenrou for seven years, even though he was told that she was surely dead. I would help Jade, even if he couldn't pay. Fairy Tail existed to help others, and as a Fairy Tail mage she would gladly sacrifice her time and energy in order to help Jade's cause.

A metal covered hand clamped down gently on my shoulder, and Gray's pants-less leg appeared at the corner of my vision.

"Lucy is right," Erza said, "we'll help, even if you can't pay." Her face suddenly became serious as the subject changed to the matter at hand. "But first, we need you tell us the details of this mission we are on."

Jade stared at them for a moment, eyes wide with astonishment.

"I-I couldn't possib-"

"Don't try to deny Erza," Gray stated. "One she and Lucy have made up their minds, there's nothing to do but follow their lead."

Juvia nodded next to him. "Juvia thinks this also."

A single tear slid down Jade's face, and his whole body shook. "T-thank you so much."


	2. The Arena

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter. Only took me forever to get it out.

Lucy tried to concentrate as the crowd around her roared in approval. She felt like she was going to be sick. Down below her, a Vulcan was being shredded apart by a monster. The Vulcan was the last of a small horde that had been released into the arena. She was shocked at first when the announcer introduced a creature named Koro, and then the huge doors leading into the arena's underground opened, revealing…

A dog.

A small, white dog, that waddled on two legs into the arena. The huge crowd had begun laughing at the tiny creature, and Lucy would have too, considering the hostile atmosphere that the small dog had emerged into. But when she looked at the dog, a shiver had gone down her spine, and a sense of unease settled over her.

From the other side of the arena, a second set of doors had been opened, and several dozen vulcans began spilling out of the doors. The small dog was completely unresponsive as the monsters hurdled towards him, except Lucy noticed, for just a split second, a smile curving along the dogs face.

Right when the horde was on him, Koro disappeared in a huge cloud of steam, and then it all went downhill from there. Lucy and the others could only watch as the Vulcans were destroyed by the huge monster that had taken the white dog's place. Its eyes were red, its fur a dark crimson, and rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth shredded each of the Vulcans to ribbons before they all disappeared down Kuro's throat in bloody chunks. The last Vulcan was finally killed, and it too met the same fate as its brethren.

The crowd was silent for a moment before they erupted into cheers, and the huge creature shrunk back down into a dog once more, silently waddling out of the arena.

Lucy let out a breath that she didn't realize she had been holding. She was sick to her stomach, and she felt like she would be deafened by the ecstatic crowd cheering around her. She was about to rise to go to the restrooms and puke up her lunch, when a voice stopped her.

Lucy, it was Gray's voice. Stay where you are, take deep breaths. I know your uncomfortable with all this, but bear with it, it will be over soon.

Lucy grasped the lachrima pendant around her neck, allowing her to respond to Gray. I-I don't think I can do this Gray. She said her breathing speeding up as she began to panic.

Grays voice became slightly panicked; worry underlying the calm in his voice. Don't think about it. Close your eyes, take deep breaths, we'll be done after this next match, and then we can leave. You don't have to watch, but you can't leave now; the main event is coming up and it would look suspicious if anyone left beforehand.

Lucy listened to his words and breathed slowly in and out. Her heart was beating hard within her chest, and it felt like it would break out if it beat any harder. She closed her eyes and embraced the calming darkness, and soon her heart began to steady, and the wild thumping in her ears dimmed to a steady rhythm that faded out of her attention.

She slowly opened her eyes, and was greeted by the sight of the crowd churning around her, and the bright fluorescent lights reflecting off of bare, sweaty skin and the bars of metal that kept the crowd closest to the inner ring safe from the combatants.

Her eyes shifted to the crowd on the other side of the arena, and she spotted Juvia there, sitting almost in the front row, right up against the huge metal walls that lined the fighting pit. Her eyes were focused on Lucy, and a look of worry was painted across her face.

Are you alright Lucy? The water mage asked, genuinely concerned for Lucy's wellbeing.

Lucy nodded from her seat across from the arena. I'll be alright, Juvia. I just needed a moment.

The rain woman nodded and turned her attention back to the pit.

Lucy blinked and quickly slapped her cheeks to distract herself from her straying thoughts. She adjusted herself on the stone seat she was seated on, not for the first time, as she tried to get comfortable. The clothes she was wearing weren't exactly helping.

Lucy was sporting a tight fitting black body suit that flared into a collar at the top, exposing her chest. A white line ran up the zipper and a belt was secured loosely around her waist, holding her key pouch and her whip. Her hair was pulled back into a side pony tail with a skull clip, and a skeletal snake tattoo wrapped around her upper arm. Happy had run away screaming when he saw her, saying she looked like Lucy Ashley.

Lucy wasn't the only one in the group to undergo a major transformation. Erza had decided that they should proceed with caution into the illegal establishment and they were all forced to wear disguises as a precaution. Erza and Gray were well known mages, and Juvia and Lucy were becoming more and more popular as the days went by.

Lucy glanced behind her at Gray, who was standing near one of the Arena's many entrances, watching the pit with interest. He had been the first of them to enter the arena, and had employed himself here as a guard. People weren't allowed to bring weapons into the arena, due to the fights that had broken out in the past over lost bets, but the guy who owned the place was cautious, and had employed Gray in a heartbeat, and made sure Gray was well equipped to handle the unruly crowd. He would remain undercover until their mission was over, and would use his privileges as a guard to move about freely and get a feel for the place. He was dressed in his own new style as well. His chest was bare, and he had on a baggy pair of white pants which was covered in a yellow triangle pattern. A belt was thrown over the pants and held a small pouch and a sheathed knife. Gray's right upper arm had a red tattoo, and he had a tomahawk slung over his shoulder. He would never make much use of the weapons, but they made an impression on others and the way Gray carried himself made it seem like he knew how to use them.

Juvia had undergone a major throwback, and looked just like the crazed rocker chick she had turned into when they had fought against Trinity Raven. Her long blue hair fell down in waves down to her waist, and she wore an extremely revealing purple vest, which was tied together just under her breasts by some strings. A purple, heart shaped tattoo adorned her flat stomach, leading down to a tight fitting pair of black skinny jeans. A spikey silver necklace wrapped around her throat and a black spikey bracelet adorned her wrist. Erza's magic made her skin appear deathly pale, paler than usual. Juvia had been utterly embarrassed to wear such clothing in front of Gray, and was extremely reluctant to walk around in public like that, but she eventually relented, and now seemed to have grown comfortable in the revealing clothing. From her spot on the other side of the arena, it was her job to simply observe along with Lucy until they decided to break their cover and bring the place down.

Erza, who was walking silently along the highest ring, made the largest impression on anyone daring enough to send a glance her way. She wore what almost appeared to be a military uniform, a deep blue shirt and pants and knee high black boots. A strap thrown over her shoulder secured a sword to her side. A black coat topped with fur was thrown over her shoulders, and billowed out behind her slightly as she walked. She had died her fiery red hair blond, and styled it in a way that it was thrown over her face slightly and curled at the ends. She immediately drew attention wherever she went, but one glance from her fierce eyes would send troublemakers running. She had come in as a bodyguard for some rich snob who was making a killing on betting in the Arena, and was pacing back and forth along a rather large section of seats in the arena, where many of her employer's associates sat.

We had all covered up our Fairy Tail guild marks with magic as a precaution, so that if anything happened we weren't traced back to the guild. Happy was elsewhere, helping the scouting effort by flying way up over the arena, getting a feel for the enormity of the building as a whole. Lucy was glad that the little Exceed wasn't down here, as she was sure that he would have freaked out in the cramped arena.

It had taken them three days to find this place, and Lucy was relieved when they finally managed to make progress, of course her enthusiasm was smashed into the ground when she heard the plan. She had been mortified by the role that she was meant to play, but complied when Erza flashed her signature glare. Lucy sighed as the current match ended. She hadn't been paying attention so she had no idea what happened. The announcer's voice boomed through the arena's giant speakers, and suddenly everything went silent.

A man that had been sitting in the section Erza was "guarding" stood and made his way to a closed off section of spectators seats. He joined the announcer there and took the microphone from his hands. He stood, turning to address the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome." His voice boomed and echoed over the arena, and everyone cheered again. The man held up his hands and the crowd quieted. "I welcome all of you, and thank you for your patronage, allowing the wonderful entertainment this facility provides to continue. I hope you have saved your bets for the final match, because many of you may be going home with empty pockets."

A groaning sound echoed through the arena, and metal screeched as something began moving within the bowels of the building. A chatter rose within the crowd, excited whispers that expressed open wonder for what was coming.

The man holding the mic seemed to smirk proudly as the sound of chains rattling joined the rising volume of chatter from the crowd.

"We have received hundreds of requests for a particular match, one that will answer an age long question. Which is stronger, fire, or earth? Or more specifically, Iron."

The crowd cheered as realization of what was happening began to echo through the crowd. Lucy was completely confused, but her attention was drawn back to the man once again.

"We have two champions. One is a specter, silent and imposing. His armor is impregnable, and his strength unmatched. He thrives in darkness and he is wild and heartless. He has never lost a fight. Our very own Iron champion, ready to fight against the Red Menace, I introduce to you, Devil's Shadow!"

A boom echoed through the stands and everyone seemed to hold their breath as the south doors of the arena slowly opened. There was a clatter as a metal net rose in a dome over the pit, effectively closing the audience off from the action within the ring. The spectators on the first few rows began moving back from the net, quickly being absorbed into the rest of the crowd farther back. They knew something was coming, and Lucy began to get nervous.

The south doors were completely open, and everyone leaned forward in anticipation.

Suddenly, a huge something stormed out of the doorway and a roar seemed to shake the entire arena.

The huge monster quickly filled the space within the pit with its girth, and Lucy gasped at the huge size of it. It was all muscle and shining metal, and so impossibly huge! Its huge head came up above the bottommost rows. The thing only had to jump in order to touch its nose to the top of the net.

If finally stood still, planting its feet firmly against the ground and roaring; shouting its presence to everyone there.

N-no way… is that.. Gray began, but the words died on his lips (can you have lips when you communicate telepathically) as he stared in open awe at the creature before him.

A Dragon. Lucy finished.

The dragon was covered from nose to tail in shiny plates that almost resembled armor. They stacked over each other like scales down the full length of the dragon's body. The dragon had horn like protrusions sticking out from its skull, and more curving around its mouth. At a closer look though, Lucy could see that they were all blunt, the ends sawn off. The same could not be said for its claws. The dragon's feet ended in deadly daggers that gleamed in the light. This thing was a monster, ready to use its natural weapons and tear its opponents to shreds.

Lucy gulped. This thing was champion for a reason.

The man with the microphone laughed and listed off the fights that the dragon had participated in, one recounting how the dragon acquired a nasty set of scars on one of its forelegs. Finally, he finished and moved on to introduce the other opponent.

"Devil's Shadow has won many fights, and has become a favorite of all you wonderful spectators. But there is one other monster here, one that we don't let out often. His destructive power is massive, and he has won every match he has ever fought, and only against the strongest. The Iron dragon is cool headed and quick to act, but the Fire dragon is brash, hot headed, and ready to demolish everything in its path. The reckless nature of Red Menace has made him infamous in our betting pools. He jumps into every fight in blind fury, and will only face consequences later. He…" The rest of the man's speech was drowned out by the sound of the north doors grinding open.

The Iron dragon moved back, slightly nervous at the sound that assaulted everyone's ears. There was a low pitched growl that began to rise in intensity, until only the snarls and roars of some horrendous beast could be heard.

Finally the doors opened wide, revealing the fire dragon. Lucy had only seconds to take in the hulking form, blood dripping down its neck from the chains digging into its skin, before the chains released, and the dragon stormed into the arena.

It paused for a moment and Lucy got the chance to examine the fiery creature. Its scales were crimson and they glittered like jewels in the lights of the arena. Thick leather straps were bound securely around its chest and stomach, keeping its wings bound to its back. This dragon, just like the other, had had its horns sawn in half, the ends polished until they ended in a smooth rounded tip. It could still use the horns as weapons; it just couldn't puncture its opponent, causing critical damage.

The dragon leaned its head back, seeming to suck all the air out of the room before a huge column of fire spewed from its maw. It sprayed fire all around it, and the Devil's Shadow seemed to take it as a challenge. With a mighty bellow, it charged forward, lowering its head to ram its horns into the fire dragon's side. The Red Menace collapsed onto his side, the Devil's Shadow stomping him into the ground as he continued to charge to the other side of the pit. The iron dragon circled the Red Menace, watching him from the edges of the pit.

Red Menace seemed dazed. His nose was in the air and he kept turning his head, as if looking for something. The audiences cheering was deafening as they egged the dragons on. People were jumping up and down, cowbells were ringing, booze was splashing, and the constant boom of the speakers was adding a low pulsing to the chaos.

Lucy watched as the fire dragon seemed to become confused, as if all the sound was making him unable to fight. She stood so that she could get a better look at the fight. For a moment, the Red Menace's head turned towards her, and she gasped when she saw his face.

Four scars curved along the fire dragon's snout, and one in particular slashed over his eyes. The scars looked like they were claw marks from some huge beast. The scar over his eyes had completely torn through his face, leaving the ruined tissue to scar. The mending had not gone well. The flesh and skin around his eyes had been torn to shreds and the scars that had formed had made the skin swell with callouses and raised flesh. The dragon had no eyes, only two empty holes that were covered in scar tissue.

Lucy brought a shaky hand to her Lachrima necklace as Devil's Shadow dived back into the fight, Red Menace taking the full force of the attack.

Gray, did you see that?

Yeha, that dragon is completely blind. It's probably relying on its hearing and smell, but with all this noise, it's reduced to smell, and the situation with that can't be much better.

Lucy nodded, and then remembered that he couldn't see her from his current position.

As soon as this match is over, we put our plan into action. I'm not going to sit through another day of this.

Gray agreed with her, and quickly informed the others as Lucy turned back to the fight. She prayed to any god that would listen that the two dragons made if it out of the fight alive, but deep down she knew the chances were slim. She wanted to help these creatures. If they survived, they would be liberated from their prison this very night.


End file.
